


Catch me if I fall

by Jordan_C_Wilde



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: ? - Freeform, Coma, Comfort/Angst, F/F, Major Character Injury, The comfort part will come later trust me, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jordan_C_Wilde/pseuds/Jordan_C_Wilde
Summary: Diana finds herself devastated  as a terrible accident puts her dear friend Akko into a coma. Blaming herself for what happened she vows to not to leave Akko's side until she wakes up. While she's watching over her friend she finds herself thinking back to the times they spent together and they hardships they bested.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 56
Kudos: 186





	1. Memories and Nightmares

The steady beeping of the ECG-monitor kept Diana’s eyes from falling shut, the rhythmic tone jolting her awake with every one of Akko’s heartbeats. Her friend lay before her, silent and pale, the polar opposite of her usual self.  
“This is your fault.” Diana’s inner voice reminded her for the millionth time. She didn’t have the strength left to disagree anymore. In her mind it really was her fault that Akko was now in this sorry state. “You could have prevented this.” it went on, almost mocking her. 

From where Diana was sitting Akko looked so fragile, as if she could break with the slightest touch. This sight felt so wrong. Akko, who was usually the epitome of liveliness and determination, lying there like a broken toy. It made her nauseous.  
She could still hear Akko’s words that fateful night high up on the New Moon Tower. 

“Don’t worry, nothing bad is gonna happen with you here, I just know it. You’re Diana Cavendish after all!”  
Her hands clenched into fists at the memory. The first couple of times she had remembered those words, tears had welled up in her eyes. Now she felt as if she had none left. The first couple of days after the accident she had spent crying, sobbing and pleading for Akko to wake up, but to no avail. 

A week later and she still spent every waking moment here, beside her dear friend, silently hoping that she would see those ruby red eyes open again, that she could hear that overbearing, cheery voice call out her name again.  
Diana took a deep breath, unclenching her fists. It was taking a lot of effort to stay conscious at this point. She raised a trembling hand and placed it on one of Akko’s.  
The brunette witch felt cold, making Diana flinch back. She had done this exact procedure countless times over the last seven days, always with the same result. She didn’t dare letting her touch linger for fear of extinguishing what little warmth was left emanating from Akko’s broken body. 

Again, her mind flashed back to that night. The way Akko had looked at her then haunted her. Her radiant smile that beamed proudly at her, that look of sheer elation and joy that changed to abject terror in a flash. The way she had reached out a hand to her in a last ditch, silent plea for help. That sound she made when shit hit the ground.  
As if on queue her left arm and leg started aching again. She had tried catching her. She had tried saving her. That was what Akko had brought her along for after all. 

This whole mess had started about three weeks earlier, when Akko had first made progress with her broom flying. After Diana had started tutoring her, she quickly progressed from a simple hover to low and slow flying in a circuit. Indeed, she was showing great promise in spite of her earlier shortcomings.

Diana clenched her eyes shut as another memory came flooding over her.   
“But Dianaaaaaa, I’m telling you I can do it!” The quirky Japanese girl had lamented after having her idea of taking a practice flight from the top of the New Moon Tower blown off by Diana. “Akko, I am telling you, you’re not ready yet. Do you know what could happen if-” 

“Well, you could always come along and help!” Akko had interrupted her almost leaping at her with that determined glimmer in her eyes. “I know I won’t fall when you’re there to catch me.”  
Diana opened her eyes again. Akko was still there, still motionless. 

“I should have talked you out of this.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. “I should have been faster, I should have-” her train of thought trailed off when she realized the futility of her words.  
She already knew no amount of words would make her whole now. As professor Chariot had put it: “The only thing that can make Akko recover is her own strength, and I know she has plenty of it.” She had a smile on her face when she said that, but Diana could tell that she wasn’t quite as confident about that statement as made herself out to be. 

Diana looked over at the table where Chariot had left her some sandwiches and a bottle of water. “It’s admirable that you want to stay with her until she gets better but it shouldn’t come at a detriment to your own health.” the professor had told her.  
She averted her gaze. She couldn’t bring herself to eat right now. Seeing how Akko was being fed via an IV-drip made her feel as if she didn’t even have the right to eat. 

Her eyes inevitably came to rest on Akko’s Shiny Rod, idly leaning against the closest wall. Thanks to it, Akko was still alive. This thing had saved her when Diana had failed to do so.  
One blink, and she was back on top of the New Moon Tower. The cold night air was blowing her hair into her face and sending shivers down her spine, despite her having come up there in her winter uniform 

Akko either didn’t notice or care about the cold as she mounted her broom. Her grin was almost ear to ear when she recited the spell “Tia Freyre!”. Diana was standing by, her own broom held at the ready, as Akko began floating towards the edge.  
“Please be careful.” Diana spoke, trying to keep the cold from seeping into her voice. 

Akko turned her head and gave her a mischievous grin. “You know me. I’m always careful!”  
That put a smile on Diana’s face. She could have never said this to Akko but her determination and happy-go-lucky attitude made her envious. Still she couldn’t help but be anxious as the brunette floated towards the edge of the platform, a look of strained concentration drawn across her face. 

She had to restrain herself from gasping when Akko went over the edge and her broom sagged down a little. One second passed, then another, before Diana finally released the breath she was holding as she realized that Akko had done it!  
She was free flying! Diana wanted to yell out, to congratulate her friend, but she didn’t want to break her focus. 

When Akko realized what she had accomplished, she snapped her head around to look at the blonde Witch with what appeared to be tears in her her eyes. In that moment, at least to Diana, she looked the happiest she’d ever been since the two of them met 

“Diana! I did it, I’m-” 

The smile faded from her face as she realized she had run out of energy. She let out a terrified yelp, followed by a long, drawn out scream as gravity started asserting its iron grip on her and her broom again.  
With no time to even feel shocked, Diana leapt off the platform after her. She was racing to catch up, willing her broom to accelerate through the free fall. 

Even though the gap between them was slowly closing, it still wouldn’t be enough. As she watched her friend fall below her, tears were streaking back across her face, driven by the howling wind around her. She let out a desperate, wordless cry of despair.  
When they were only feet apart, Akko reached out her hand. But before Diana had a chance of reaching her, the ground had come up. For a split second Diana could see the Shiny Rod, still slung about Akko’s waist, starting to light up, before a flash of brilliant green light enveloped the two of them.

Blinded, Diana pulled her broom upwards sharply by reflex, but to no avail. She was carried into the ground by her remaining momentum, badly bruising her left side. Even as she herself slid across the pavement, she heard the dull thud off a body bouncing off the ground. 

The second she came to a halt, she rolled to her feet, not even noticing the blood running down her side. “Akko!” She yelled, still dazed. “Akko, are you okay?!” 

Her vision was clearing and in the night’s gloom she could see something lying sprawled on the ground in front of her. “A-Akko?” She asked, sobs bleeding into her voice as she stepped closer, her legs threatening to give in beneath her. 

“Akko?” 

“AKKO!” 

Diana woke with a start. The afterimage of the nightmare seemed to linger for a moment before dissipating in front of her eyes. The only thing that remained was Akko; still lifeless before her. 

With a sigh, she rose from her chair, feeling unsteady on her legs. The light of the setting sun bathed the small infirmary room in a warm orange haze, but Diana felt cold nonetheless.  
She dragged herself over to the other side of Akko’s sickbed where she had laid out a futon for herself. It had been a real chore convincing professor Finnelan to let her sleep here but with a bit of sweet-talking from professor Chariot, she had relented. 

She sagged down onto the quasi mattress, having just enough energy left to kick off her shoes. She knew she’d be awake again in a couple of hours, rattled awake by some bad dream.  
As her consciousness faded and the beeping of the ECG dulled to a distant echo, she found her mind gravitating back to the one phrase that had been running through her mind over and over and over again. 

“Please forgive me Akko. This is all my fault.”


	2. Friends

The warm light of the morning sun roused Diana from her uneasy sleep. Much like the days before, she hadn’t slept particularly well, stirring from her sleep every couple of hours.

She blinked the sleep from her eyes, staring straight at the ceiling as she did so. The ECG was still beeping its monotone rhythm into the room with the regularity of a heartbeat.

This gave Diana slight relief as it assured her that Akko was still there. Though this relief was a double-edged sword. She sat up, her back and bruised limbs smarting from another night spent on her more than uncomfortable futon.

A gaze to her right confirmed what the heart rate monitor had already told her: Akko was indeed still there, still motionless, still half dead. 

Next, her gaze wandered down her own body, still clad in the same uniform she had worn for days now. She’d only had the energy for the most basic forms of bodily hygiene ever since she took up her vigil beside Akko.

As she went to brush her teeth at the small faucet in the corner of the drab pastel colored room, her eyes caught her own reflection in the mirror. She looked miserable, with her hair dishevelled and her uniform mottled and wrinkly.

“Good morning, miss Cavendish.” she spoke, her voice sounding hollow as she splashed some ice cold water into her face. She went about the rest of her by now familiar routine almost on autopilot. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and changed the bandages around her arm and leg.

She felt the fresh gauze itching on her bruises as she took her accustomed place by Akko’s side. She still looked the same way she had when Diana went to sleep yesterday. And the day before that and the day before that.

Diana sighed a long, sad sigh. “Oh Akko.” Her voice sounded almost out of place, next to the beeping of the heart rate monitor. She had grown so accustomed to the sound that she hardly even noticed it anymore.

“You know Akko,” she spoke before she realized it “they are going to start printing a new edition of that magic trading card game. I was going to ask you if you wanted to accompany me to the comic book store in town to maybe get some first edition re-release cards. I'm sure it would have been so much fun.”

She didn't know why she started talking but now she found it hard to stop. “Lotte came by to check on you with Sucy in tow yesterday. She handled it much better than the first time too. She even brought flowers.” She made an absent-minded gesture with her head towards the windowsill where some white orchids sat in a plain porcelain vase. 

“The first time she saw you like this she almost passed out, the poor thing.” Her gaze firmly trained forward she let out a dry, mirthless chuckle. “But who am I to talk. I spent the first couple of days crying my eyes out.”

She paused, trying to find the right words to continue. “Akko, I want to make this right but I don't know how. I want to make you better but I have no idea where to start. I-”

She paused, a lump forming in her throat and tears welling up in her eyes. “I failed you. I was supposed to protect you but I failed you.” She sobbed. This was the first time she had given voice to these thoughts so consciously. “None of this would have happened if I- if I-”

Her train of thoughts broke off as her sobbing turned into full-fledged crying. Without the mental coordination to keep her one sided conversation with Akko going, she resigned herself to sitting there, weeping while the ECG continued its oblivious beeping rhythm. 

She didn't know for how long she'd been sitting there like that, when a hesitant knock on the door startled her out of her weeping trance. 

She hastily wiped the tears away with the cuff of her uniform, knowing full well that she probably wasn't fooling anyone, before she called out. “Yes?“

The door opened, and she was greeted by the smiling visages of her roommates Hannah and Barbara. “Good morning Diana.” spoke the red-haired witch stepping into the room hesitantly. “We came to ask if you wanted to have breakfast with us. We've still got time before the morning classes start.”

“That's very nice of you girls, but I-”

“No buts!” Barbara interrupted her, lifting what looked like a picnic bag in front of her with a flick of her wand. “We know you're not going to leave Kagari's side, so we decided to come here to have our breakfast with you.”

“You're being to forceful, Barb!”

“Like hell I am, look at her!” The black-haired witch motioned in Diana's general direction with her wand. “By the nine, you could x-ray here with a candle.”

“BARB!”

A slight chuckle coming from Diana interrupted their bickering. As if hit by lightning, the two of them snapped their heads around to look at their roommate in astonishment. 

“I suppose I must look quite pitiful, no?” Her voice sounded dry and hoarse but still very genuine. “Please, sit with me.”

Hannah and Barbara almost couldn’t believe their eyes. Was Diana smiling? In a haste, the two of them retrieved two small stools that were stashed in the adjacent storage closet and took their seats so that the three of them were sitting opposite each other next to Akko’s bed.

All three of them sat and stared at each other, neither of them knowing how to best break the awkward silence that had fallen. 

Barbara was the one to finally take the plunge. “We brought some pastries from the bakery in town!” She reached into the basket and handed Diana a shortcake.

Diana, neither wanting to seem impolite, nor up for the discussion of what exactly constitutes a pastry, took a bite. She had eaten so little in the last couple of days that the sweet taste of the biscuit nearly overwhelmed her.

She choked the bite down, careful not to drop too much of her facade in front of her friends. Clearing her throat, Diana was the next to speak up. “So I take you’ve come to talk me out of this.”

This unexpected advance took the two other members of blue team so by surprise that Barbara choked on her shortcake.

“Diana what do you-” Hannah began but before she was finished Diana cut her off by raising a finger.

“I appreciate you two coming around. I really do. But no matter what you say or do I will not leave Akko’s side.”

“Hang on, wait! You’ve got this all wrong!” Barbara who in the meantime had managed to wretch up the piece of cake blocking her airway interjected. “Diana we didn’t come here to talk you out of anything. God knows you’re too stubborn for that.”

That remark earned her an elbow jab from Hannah, who continued. “We’re worried about you.” She paused, trying to pick the right words. “Look Di, we know that you feel responsible for what happened and that you want to help Kagari get better, but you still shouldn’t let yourself go like that.”

“But I'm-” Diana wanted to protest but got cut short by Barbara who raised her finger in much the same manner as Diana had done before. 

“Listen, we can talk about responsibility and the like once our sleeping beauty here rises from her grave, and sitting here crying next to her for half an hour is obviously not going to help with that.”

Had she really been crying for that long? “Y-you heard that?”

Ignoring Diana's startled question, the black-haired witch pressed on. “Diana it's fine that you want to help Akko, but for that to happen you've got to help yourself first.”

“I don't know how-” Diana spoke with a trembling voice, tears beginning to form in her eyes again.

Hannah scooted closer to her friend and pressed her close in a hug. “Of course you do, silly. You're Diana Cavendish!” She broke the embrace and looked her friend in the eye. “And you're not alone. Barb and I are here to support you. We realize we should have come to your aid much sooner, but we figured you needed some time first.”

Diana's sobs we're starting to abate again. “And what do you think I should do?”

Barbara gave her an almost cocky smile in reply. “What you Cavendish folk do best. Focus on fixing her up.” She pointed to the lifeless Form of Akko. “If there is anyone here in Luna Nova who can do this, it's you Diana!”

This made Diana pause. “Do you really think so?”

Hannah nodded energetically. “Absolutely! I mean, you're THE top student here, your family is responsible for some of the greatest advances in medical magic AND you're a direct descendent of one of the Nine old witches!”

Barbara put a hand on Diana's shoulder. “You shouldn't grieve over someone who is still alive, especially when you have the power to make them better.“

“Girls, I don't know what to say.” Diana was close to crying again, but for a different reason entirely this time. She took a deep breath to steady her trembling voice before she continued. “I was so foolish. You're right, both of you. This whole situation had me so overwhelmed, I completely lost track of what was important. I guess I needed someone to set my head straight.”

The two other members of blue team looked at each other with a mixture of relief and joy. “See I told you she'd come around!” cooed Barbara, earning her another elbow jab from her red-haired counterpart. Barbara looked like she wanted to say something else but the tolling of the school bell had them both leaping out of their seats.

“Oh damn it,” cursed Hannah, already on her way out. “Sorry Di, looks like we lost track of time! We'll come and check in after class with you!”

Before Diana could react her friends had vacated the room. Silence fell upon her again, only broken by the ECG. Diana looked at Akko. Despite the pep talk she had just received from her friends, this feeling of unbearable guilt remained. She could already feel her thoughts gravitating back towards repetitions of guilt and replays of that horrible night. 

But this time something was different. Diana actively resisted the mocking tones of her inner voice. As if to prove to herself that things were going to get better from now on, she lifted her hand slowly and placed it on Akko's. The coldness of her friend's skin made her flinch, but she forced her hand to remain in place this time. “I'll make this right Akko. I swear it. Whatever it takes, I will fix this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Diana really get herself together?  
> Is she going to get a fresh set of clothes?  
> Are shortcakes pastries or biscuits?  
> Am I going to rewrite entire paragraphs because I forgot the English word for bandages?  
> These questions and many more will be answered in the next chapter of this comatose adventure!
> 
> Thank you very much for reading!
> 
> Honestly, the response to the first chapter blew me away. You guys truly are amazing.  
> Thank you so much for all the nice comments and Kudos. I've never felt so motivated to write in my entire life. :)  
> Feel free to share your thoughts and or grievances in the comment section.


	3. Cause and Effect

“Here, are these the ones you wanted?” Barbara dumped an arm load full of books on the small bedside table. 

Diana looked up from the one she had already been reading, trying to blink the strain from her tired eyes. 

Shaking off her fatigue, she quickly scanned the covers of each of the books her friend had brought her one after the other. 'The symbiotic relationship of the nervous system and magic' read one cover, and 'The witch doctor's almanac' another. 

“Yes, I believe these will suffice for now.” Diana said absentmindedly, turning her attention back to her reading material without so much as a fleeting look at her Friend. 

Barbara scoffed “Should suffice? I better hope they do, those were pretty much all medicinal magic textbooks I could find in the library.”

Diana put her hand on the page she was just beginning to read and closed the book on top of it. “I'm sorry Barbara. I didn't mean to sound rude it's just…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze drifted towards the already quite substantial stack of books on the floor next to the table.

“Still no lead?” The black-haired witch asked, following Diana’s gaze. 

Diana shook her head. “I studied her patient file over and over and none of her injuries seem…” she paused looking for the right word in her head. “congruent.”

Barbara directed her eyes from her friend over to where Akko was laying. “Now that you mention it, you’d figure she’d be in far worse shape after a three hundred foot free fall.”

“Precisely.” Diana rose from her seat and strode over to where the Shiny Rod was still leaning against the wall. 

She bent down, not wanting to touch the ancient magical relic. “Moments before she hit the ground this thing released some kind of energy pulse. I suspect this is why she only sustained such minor injuries.”

“So what you’re saying is that the cause of Akko’s coma isn’t blunt force trauma or anything but has something to do with the magic of the Shiny Rod?”

“That’s the most plausible theory I’ve come up with so far.”

Barbara perked up as if she’d had a genius idea. “Well, if the problem is magical, then why not try out a couple healing spells on her?”

Turning back to her reading table Diana spoke, a sad smile drawing across her tired features. “I’m afraid it’s not that easy. If we start trying random healing spells, we’re likely to just make the entire situation worse. It would very much be like cutting a patient open and starting to remove organs without even knowing which ones, if any, even need removing.”

“I get why that would be a bad thing.” Barbara grimaced at the thought.

“That’s why we must isolate the problem first. But the thing is, this seems to be entirely unprecedented.” She flipped another page of the book in front of her. “I couldn’t even find a case similar to this one as of yet.”

Barbara scratched the back of her head. “Well, the Shiny Rod used to belong to professor Chariot, right? Why not try asking her about it?”

“That was my first thought as well, but sadly she couldn’t tell me much either.” She put her hand on Akko’s again. “The Shiny rod is a magical artifact; a one of a kind. So naturally all the documentation I could find on it is speculatory, anecdotal or just plain false.”

Diana sighed and turned to look out the window, her hand still placed on her friend’s. The sun had set a long time ago, and a full moon was illuminating the cold night sky. “I think you should get some rest now Barbara. You’ve been running errands for me all day long.”

Her friend gave her a sly smile. “Only if you promise me that you’re gonna catch some shuteye too. I don’t want to have to tie you to that futon of yours because you refuse to stop working.”

The blonde witch returned her friend’s smile, finally removing her hand from Akko’s and shutting the book in front of her. “Don’t worry, I think I shall go to bed soon too.”

“You better.” Barbara turned around to leave, but as she opened the door, Diana called out to her again. “Barbara?”

The black-haired witch turned around and looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, Diana.” her teammate smiled before stepping out into the hallway and pulling the door shut behind her.

Once again, Diana was alone with Akko. Still sitting at the table she stared at the cover of the book she had just closed. Over the last couple of hours she had felt the onset of exhaustion creeping into her body but she didn’t feel motivated to stop.

She looked at Akko, who almost looked as if she was sleeping, ready to wake up at any moment.

Diana got up and leaned over the bed. “Right arm, broken. Right leg, broken. Multiple ribs cracked. Bruises all along the right side and back. Laceration at the back of the head resulting in minor blunt force trauma.” despite the severity of the injuries she had just listed, she smiled. “under normal circumstances these wouldn’t even slow you down, Akko.”

She watched the brunette’s chest rise and fall slowly with each faint breath. She was still in there, that much Diana knew. She just had no idea how to get her out again.

“I wonder what you would do if our roles were reversed.” she spoke, gently brushing a loose strand of hair from Akko’s face. “I’m sure you wouldn’t have wasted any time stewing in self pity like I did.”

She turned back towards the table and her remaining reading material. “No, you would have been here, trying everything in your power to,” she paused the words catching in her throat for seemingly no reason. “make me wake up.”

Her eyes were now firmly fixed on the book she had closed not five minutes earlier. It seemed to beckon her to come closer and read another couple of pages.

“Can I really afford to sleep now after all the time I have wasted already?” the question hung heavy in the small infirmary room. With no one there to give her an answer but herself she walked back over to the table and put her hand on the cover of the book.

“No.” her voice was filled with a mixture of regret and resolve. “No, I can’t. I need to keep trying. I NEED to make her better.” 

Against her better judgement she sat back down and opened the book. At first she only wanted to go through a few more pages, which then quickly turned into chapters.

Before she knew it she had lost track of time. The pages seemed to fly by in front of her eyes none yielding new or useful information. She spotted diagrams she already knew, figures that she was sure had been made obsolete by progressed in medicinal magic and passages of text that directly contradicted what she had read in some other books she had blazed through already.

She was so engrossed in her reading that at first she didn’t even notice the small voice calling out to her.

“Diana? Hey Diana, are you still there?”

_________________________________________________

“What?” Diana blinked several times, not sure where she had been with her thoughts. She was sitting on a bunk bed, holding a hand of magic playing cards.

Akko pouted at her, putting down her hand of cards face down on the bed in front of her. “Were you even listening to me?”

Diana put her playing cards down as well, mustering her friend with an apologetic look in her eyes. “I’m sorry Akko. I guess I am a little out of it at the moment.” As she spoke she let her gaze wander around the bedroom or red team. Sucy and Lotte weren’t present, but the former had left what appeared to be an oversized mushroom too big for the pot it was housed in sitting on her bed.

“Small wonder, seeing how you’ve doubled down on your studies. Are you sure you’re getting enough sleep?” Something about the way Akko said that made Diana pause. There was a note of genuine concern in her voice.

The blonde witch studied her friend with curiosity for a moment before answering “I assure you I’m fine. I just spaced out a little. Would you mind repeating what you just said?”

“I was telling you how happy I am that you’re helping me with my broom flying. I swear you’re just having me repeat myself because you wanted to hear me compliment you again.” She said with a huff, picking her playing cards back up before adding “It’s your turn by the way.” 

Diana had to let out a stifled giggled at Akko’s remark. “I swear that was not my intention.” She placed one of the cards out of her hand face down on the bed after picking up her own hand again. “Though, I have to say I am really impressed with your progress so far, considering your background.”

The facial expression of the Japanese witch changed into what almost looked like shock in a flash, her cheeks blushing bright red. “Do you really mean that?” the tone in her voice matched her face. She was so flustered that she nearly forgot to make her own move, almost fumbling the card out of her hand.

“I wouldn’t be saying it if I didn’t mean it. You really have come along way Akko.” Much to her amusement, the redness of Akko’s cheeks only deepened. 

Quickly shaking her head in an effort to clear her thoughts she spoke up again, still sounding notably flustered. “W-well anyway! I wanted to ask you to help m-me with something!”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“I want to fly.” she said, confidence finding its way back into her voice. “And I don’t mean three feet above the ground.”

Again, Diana put down her playing cards. “I’m afraid I don’t quite follow.” though in the back of her mind, there was this building feeling of unease that she had come to associate with every time Akko was about to do something supremely reckless. 

The smile that spread across her features only fueled that unease in Diana’s mind. “I want to try a lap around the New Moon Tower.”

Diana’s jaw nearly dropped. “Akko what are you talking about? That is absolutely crazy!”

“Crazy good, or crazy bad?”

“Crazy as in serious risk of bodily harm!”

Still smiling, the brunette thumped one of her fists off her chest. ”You know something like that has never kept me before!”

“Atsuko.”

Diana, addressing her by her given name rather than her nickname had her freeze on the spot as if she had been struck by lightning. She looked at her friend with a mixture of surprise and concern. 

Diana met her gaze, her eyes peering deep into her friend’s Ruby red irises. They were flitting back and forth, almost nervously and there were beads of sweat forming on her forehead. That blush from before had returned, flushing her cheeks almost to the same color as her eyes

Diana could see that Akko had some sort of goal in all of this, she just couldn’t think of what that might possibly be. “Even though you are making good progress, I really think it is too early for you to attempt something like this.”

“But Dianaaaaaa, I’m telling you I can do it!” she whined, sounding just enough like a spoiled little kid to make it sound somewhat endearing. 

Diana had to actively try to keep a smile off her face as she tried to reason with her quirky Japanese friend. “Akko, I am telling you, you’re not ready yet. Do you know what could happen if-”

“Well, you could always come along and help!” In one swift motion Akko scooted closer and seized both of Diana’s hands in hers. “I know I won’t fall when you’re there to catch me.” Something about her touch and the way that she was looking at her had Diana flustered. Her hands felt warm and yet they were sort of trembling and her eyes had that determined flicker in them that Diana had come to admire over the last couple of months.

Her cheeks ran red involuntarily again. She didn’t know what it was exactly, the touch, the look or the way Akko had said it, but something in her head switched over in that moment.

Before she had given any conscious thought to them the words had already left her lips. “All right, I’ll help you. But only one lap.”

Before she realized it, she found herself sprawled out on Akko’s bed, the brunette witch having her pinned in a vice grip like hug. She could hear Akko’s voice faltering a little as she sobbed. “Thank you Diana. Thank you. This means so much to me.”

Recovering from the shock of being tackle-hugged so suddenly, Diana finally mustered up the coordination to return the embrace. But when her hand moved to wrap around Akko’s torso, it seemed to glide right through it. 

The sensation was so utterly eerie and jarring that it shook her awake on the spot. She blinked, not sure where she was and how she got there. The next feeling that first greeted her was a dull ache radiating from her left arm and leg that so harshly grounded her to reality.

Realization was dawning on her as she saw that she was lying on the floor of the infirmary room, next to the bedside table. Everything around her was silent, safe for the ever present beeping of the heart rate monitor.

She got to her feet with a groan and as her gaze first wandered over her reading materials and then Akko. 

“A dream.” Even as the words left her mouth, a new feeling began rushing over her like a breaking tidal wave. She didn’t know what it was, but it made her whole body shiver at the sight of her bedridden friend. 

It wasn’t the usual sadness or guilt. It felt hot, almost unbearably so, as it worked its way up from her abdomen towards her head. Her legs shook as she stepped closer to the sickbed. She was so focused on Akko, and Akko alone, that she completely missed the tears streaming down her face. 

As she saw her face, pale in the moonlight streaming in through the window, underneath the transparent oxygen mask, she began hearing her own heartbeat pounding in her head.

“Akko.” She croaked, her voice dry and cracking. Her thoughts were racing, replaying the dream, no, the memory over and over and over before her eyes. Those looks, those touches she had gotten from Akko. The way her eyes were moving and her voice was cracking. The way she had hugged her.

“Akko, what was that all about?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Diana is discovering new depths to her relationship with Akko that she didn't even knew were there,  
> What can this mean?  
> Will her obsessive working really pay off?
> 
> Find out in the next chapter Of Little Witch Anatomy, erm I mean Catch me if I fall!
> 
> Thank you again for the positive response to the previous chapter guys, you are all truly wonderful!  
> This one got a bit longer than I had layed it out to be and I don't really know if I nailed the dream sequence out correctly.  
> All in all I am quite happy with this one, although it still feels unnatural to me to write such short chapters.
> 
> What do you think? Tell me down below in the comments! (Seriously each one of those makes my day a bit brighter and gives me motivation to continue this project)  
> Thanks for reading  
> -Jordan


	4. End of the line

“Please Diana, calm down!” professor Chariot pleaded, trying to keep her voice steady. In front of her stood Diana who was visibly trembling, her expression somewhere between anger and sheer incredulity. 

The blonde took a step towards her teacher, drawing in a sharp breath. “Calm down?” she spat, the edge of anger evident in her voice. “You want me to calm down after telling me that they're gonna ship Akko off to her home country in this state?”

Chariot gulped “Believe me it's for the better-”

Not caring that she was talking to her professor, Diana screamed “Don't even start with that! For the better of whom exactly? We are sitting at the focal point of magical knowledge here and you're telling me a regular hospital has the means to treat this magic induced injury?”

“Diana please be reasonable. This wasn't a decision the school board made easily.”

“Then why? Why are you sending her away?!” 

Chariot paused, trying to pick her words carefully. To Diana the brief pause in their conversation seemed to last hours. She could hear the incessant beeping of the ECG reverberating in the back of her mind in chorus with her own labored breathing and intense heartbeat. 

Finally, the red-haired witch spoke up, her voice cracking slightly despite her best efforts. “It was on behalf of her parents. The school could have refused, but that would not have put us in a good position if this entire affair was to go to court.”

“Court?” Diana was so blindsided by the sudden revelation that her anger seemed to lift for a moment. “Don't tell me her parents are planning on suing the school over this.”

“That is not clear as of yet. It probably won't if,” she paused wincing at her own working “when Akko wakes up.”

The pieces finally came together in Diana's head. “So what you are saying is that the school thinks that there's so little hope of her regaining consciousness that they're already positioning themselves for the legal fallout?” As the words left her lips, she felt the fury flaring up within her again. 

“That is one way of saying it.” Chariot sounded somewhere between resigned and defeated.

“Don’t they know that this can only worsen Akko’s chances of recovery?” Diana spat, rage now openly bleeding into her voice again. Tears were forming in her eyes again without her even noticing. 

“Diana, the hospital they’re sending her to is very reputable. I am sure they will do their utmost to make her better again.” Chariot was now in full damage control mode, seeing her student lose control right in front of her eyes again.

Seething, Diana whirled around to pace back and forth in front of the sickbed. The ever present beeping was now thoroughly getting on her nerves. Everything around her seemed to get louder and louder by the second. “Reputable? Do they have any witches or witch-doctors on staff? Do they have anyone who is experienced in medicinal magic? Anyone who even understands the basics of magic”

“Diana that’s-”

“That’s what?!” The Cavendish heiress was scream-crying by now. “You don’t seriously believe that any regular doctors stand a chance of even figuring out whatever the hell is wrong with Akko? I-”

Her next sentence was abruptly cut short when Chariot grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug without another word. This sudden and unexpected gesture of affection had Diana’s wrath dissipate in an instant, leaving her with nothing but sadness and grief.

Slowly, the tension in her body eased causing her to slump into her professor’s embrace, sobbing into her shoulder. “Shhh, it’s all right. Let it all out.” Chariot tried to sound as reassuring as possible while gently stroking Diana’s hair.

The pair stood there for a while, Diana’s quiet sobbing and the ever present beeping the only sounds breaking the silence. “I failed.” the blonde finally croaked.

“Don’t be silly Diana,” Chariot cooed, “you tried everything in your power to make this right.”

“And it still wasn’t enough professor.” she sniffled, lifting her head away from Chariot’s shoulder, “I promised her I would make her better.”

Chariot finally released Diana from her embrace and met her student’s teary gaze. “There are some promises you just can’t keep.” she said, her voice marked by regret. “Sometimes you give it your all and it’s not enough. That’s a regrettable fact of life.”

Chariot took a step back and let her eyes wander over to Akko. “This whole situation pains me as much as it pains you, believe me. In fact, there is hardly a witch on campus who hasn’t been touched by all of this. But trust me when I tell you that no one here blames you or thinks you haven’t given it your best shot.”

“But-”

“Not ‘buts’ Miss Cavendish!” Chariot raised a finder to go along with her mock chastisements. “You have worked yourself raw trying to find a way to make your friend better. And while that might have put you under enormous pressure and may in fact have been a detriment to your overall health, it is still highly commendable.”

Friend. She was Akko’s friend, sure, but still something about that word made something in her chest tighten up. Quickly shaking off that uneasy feeling Diana formulated a reply “I just wish I could have done more.” She could feel her mind clear a little as the tears finally stopped flowing.

“I know you do.” Chariot placed a reassuring hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Everyone wishes they could have done more for Akko. At least I know I do.”

Diana finally mustered up the courage to look her teacher in the eyes again. “Professor Chariot, My apologies for yelling at you earlier. Despite the situation that was a slip that really should not have happened.” 

Her teacher just smiled back at her retrieving her hand from her shoulder. “It’s okay Diana, I understand.” she spoke as she tore her gaze away from the disheveled form of her student to gaze at the clock. A frown spread across her face as she spoke up again, “Damn, looks like I lost track of time. I’m sorry Diana but I need to hurry along now. There are still a lot of things I need to get in order. I promise I’ll swing by later tonight!”

She was already halfway out the door when that last sentence left her lips. Before Diana could think up a response, she was all alone again with Akko.

‘Beep, Beep, Beep,’

She slowly turned back towards the sickbed. Friend. The word began coursing through her head again as if it was stuck on repeat. Sitting back down at her accustomed place beside the bed, she once again took Akko’s hand. The touch, despite the coldness of Akko’s skin, felt almost unbearably hot to Diana.

Her eyes fixed on Akko’s almost doll-like face she cast her mind back. Back to that dream she’d had. Her face, the way her voice cracked, her touch. It had all felt so natural to Diana back then but now, having those scenes stuck in her head she began to question their true meaning.

Over the last few days her dreams were marked by memories of all sorts. Events that had long since been buried in her subconsciousness came boiling back up in her sleep to remind her of what seemed like miniscule and insignificant events shared between the two of them.

Be it late-night study sessions to cram for tests, quiet evenings spent together playing cards or after hours flying lessons on the track. All of those innocuous moments now seemed so important to her that she wished, down in the deepest deepest depths of her heart, that she could go back and relive those moments. 

Out of all the memories there were several that stuck out of course. Like the time when Akko was so hellbent on beating her in the annual broom race that she resorted to firing herself out of a cannon. Or the Samhain Festival where she successfully excised a centuries old curse from the ghost of Varjoris. 

And of course the time when they, together with their friends, defeated the Noir Fuel Spirit. That particular memory brought a smile to her face, despite everything. The way the two of them had stood on the legendary broom, Shooting Star, together, the way the magic coursed through their bodies as they recited the spell that would bring down the marauding intercontinental ballistic missile. It all felt so electrifying to her now. Her grip involuntarily tightened around Akko’s fingers.

“Back then it was you who caught me.” Diana reminisced softly, her eyes locked on Akko’s doll-like face. In that moment she seemed to be merely sleeping, ready to wake up at any second. But Diana was way past the stage of hoping that, that would happen. In the back of her mind, she had given up on that weeks before.

That realization stung her badly. “I hope you’ll be able to forgive me Akko. I tried everything and still I failed to save you.”

A sudden noise from the other end of the room tore her out of her one sided conversation. It took her a second to realize that it was the door opening. A second later, Amanda stepped into the room, looking markedly uneasy. The witch displayed none of her usual energy or boisterousness.

“Good evening.” Diana forced up a brief smile to greet her friend.

Amanda returned her smile, trying her best to make it seem genuine. “‘Sup, Cavendish. I hope I’m not coming at a bad time.” She scratched the back of her head, trying to pick the right words to continue “I just got the news from professor Chariot.”

Diana nodded, trying to keep her face from betraying the emotional turmoil raging within her.  
“I see,” she began gesturing towards one of the vacant chairs opposite her reading table, “why don’t you take a seat? I wouldn’t mind the company.”

The American witch seemed to seriously consider her friend’s offer, but decided against it at the last moment. “Sorry Di, I-” she was fidgeting with something in her hands but Diana couldn’t make out what it was, “I only came to deliver something to you.”

With that she stuck out her hand and Diana saw that she had been holding onto a letter which Diana took with confusion drawn across her face “I can’t really explain it now, but I hope you’ll understand once you read it.” she was looking so uneasy that it put Diana on edge.

“Is everything all right Amanda?”

She blinked at the sudden question. “Wha- I mean yeah. Everything’s fine. Well, as fine as it can be given the circumstances.”

Despite her not really believing Amanda, Diana gave her a nod. Amanda went on, “Well, I suppose I should get going now. I promised Lotte and Sucy to help pack up Akko’s stuff. See you later Diana, we’ll probably swing by later to properly say goodbye and stuff!”

With that she rushed out of the door and slammed it shut behind her, leaving Diana to stew in her confusion. She examined the envelope, turning it several times in her hands. This whole situation didn’t sit right with her, the way Amanda had just stormed off like that without even so much as a glance at Akko.

As she turned the envelope in her hands, she felt something cardboard like inside. “Guess there’s nothing for it then.” she spoke, gently prying open the envelope, being careful not to damage it in the process.

Contained within was a letter which she gingerly unfolded and held up in front of her.

‘Dear Diana,” the first line read, written in Akko’s unmistakable heavy handwriting. Though it seemed to her that there was a considerable amount of effort put into it to make it look nice.

‘If everything goes to plan, you will never receive this letter. Actually, I was planning to tell you everything that is written in here myself.’ Diana raised an eyebrow not sure where this was going.

‘But seeing as you’re reading this, it seems I didn’t have the guts to tell you myself. I told Amanda to give this to you if I didn’t. Excuse me, I’m rambling. 

I am writing this because there are several things I want to, no; I need to tell you. I know the two of us didn’t get off to a very good start as I’m sure you know. I completely misjudged your character and I know I said this before but I would like to apologize for that again. You truly are an amazing person and I am so happy that such a wonderful friendship managed to bloom between us.’ 

There was that F word again. Diana winced slightly as she read, not knowing why.

‘I can’t really believe the things we went through together and honestly if I had to pick a person to save the world with again I’d probably pick you. I mean you are by far the most talented, kind and considerate witch that I know! I mean I still can’t believe you’re regularly taking time out of your schedule to teach a dunce like me how to fly.’

Diana’s cheeks went red as she read through the flurry of praises and compliments that Akko had presented to her. 

‘Speaking of which, let me finally get to the point of this letter. I originally wanted to tell you this up on the New Moon Tower (that’s why I dragged you up there in the first place.)  
Diana felt her hands starting to shake a little as she read. 

‘I am not really good with words or expressing how I am feeling. That’s probably why I had to resort to this as a backup plan. I just want you to know you mean the world to me. Honestly, just calling you my friend seems like I am under-appreciating you as a person.

Diana I-’

The next couple of words were scribbled out so badly that there was no hope of deciphering them. Why had she done that?

‘I’m sorry, it feels wrong saying this in such an impersonal manner. I have enclosed something along with this note. I hope you’ll understand. Come and see me when you receive it.

-Atsuko Kagari’

Diana put the letter down on her reading table not sure what she had just read. Her heart was beating so hard she could hear it overpowering the ECG-Beeping as she turned her attention back to the envelope. 

Time seemed to pass unbearably slow as she willed her fingers to probe inside and feel around. Clenching her eyes shut, she pulled whatever was left inside out in one almost hasty movement.

She knew that feeling between her fingers. A familiar cold smoothness. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw what exactly she was holding.

A first edition re-release Shiny Chariot card.

She was absolutely dumbstruck. She turned the card around to find a sticky note attached to the other side. ‘I pulled some strings with the guy who runs the magic shop in town. He has some great connections. Hope you like it <3’

She stared at the card, then back at the letter and back at the card. Everything was slowly coming together. She began sensing that warm feeling in the pit of her stomach building up again.

“Akko.” again, tears were forming in her eyes as she spoke. She looked at her friend, expecting to find an answer in her comatose face. As expected she lay there, silent and still.

Once again she took Akko’s hand, enclosing the piece of cardboard between their palms. “Akko.” she sniffed again, clenching her eyes shut.

“Akko I didn’t realize-” she interweaved their fingers, pressing them tightly against each other. She didn’t notice the sparks beginning to form around their hands.

“How could I have been so oblivious?” the sparking intensified as she sat there sobbing. A green glow soon joined it. Diana still didn’t notice it. She didn’t dare to open her eyes or to look at Akko.

“Atsuko I-” in a flash, the turmoil in her lifted and she knew what she had to say.

“I love you.”

The world around her was enveloped by a brilliant flash of green, followed by pitch black darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man this took me longer than I had expected. Sorry for the delay folks! I'll try having the next chapter up in a timely manner. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it in the comments! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> -Jordan


	5. "Stay with me"

Diana’s eyes jerked open with a start. At least she thought they did. She certainly felt like her eyes were wide open, and yet no matter how hard she strained them, all that stretched before her was pitch black darkness in every direction.

Then it occurred to her that she should at least try to wave her hand in front of her face to see if she had gone blind. 

She nearly fell over backwards in surprise when her hand shot up in front of her with far more force than she had intended to, as bright and clear as if she was standing in broad daylight. A look down her body revealed that she in fact had not gone blind. 

“What is going on here?” she mumbled out loud, turning her hand in front of her face. The movement felt delayed, her hand only seeming to move seconds after she willed it to do so. It was almost like it was moving through a thick, viscous fluid. 

So she wasn’t blind, and it wasn’t dark, just black. A quick turn of her head revealed that this blackness stretched as far as her eyes could, or rather couldn't, see. With no better idea in mind she tried taking a step forward, the action requiring much more exertion than usual. 

She probed the ground in front of her carefully with her foot, not sure if it would take her weight. She exhaled a small sigh of relief when she put her foot down proper and the ground didn't collapse beneath it, or swallow her whole, or whatever might happen in this weird place. 

And so she started walking. She didn't know where to or what for but it seemed to her as good of a solution as any. As she was forcing her limbs to move, trying to get used to this weird disconnect between her thoughts and her actions, she started going over the events leading up to this predicament. 

Her thoughts were as much of a mess as her cognitive functions were. With much effort she could barely conjure up what she thought was the last half hour leading up to all of this. She could remember that she’d had a talk with professor Chariot about Akko, but couldn't recall the contents of it apart from the fact that she cried a lot. Then there was Amanda delivering something to her, but she couldn't remember for the life of her what it was. 

As she was racking her brain trying to get her memories in order, a distant sound drew her attention away from her own thoughts and made her pause mid-step. She strained her ears in an effort to make out what it was and where it was coming from. Though she couldn't make out much more than a very dull and distant sounding cadence, she managed to more or less figure out the direction it was coming from. 

Diana began making her way toward the source of that noise, step by strenuous step. After a while, she couldn't tell how long she had been walking for. The noise had transformed into what was clearly a voice, though Diana couldn't make out exact words nor could she recognize the speaker. 

She pressed on, ignoring the building ache in her legs. A short while longer she could perceive shreds of what she thought was an ongoing conversation “Listen, I know how you feel about all of this but you can't put this off any longer. Hell look at you! This will eat you alive if you don't get it out of your system.”

That voice. It sounded so Familiar, and yet Diana couldn't put her finger on it. That is until another, much more subdued voice seemed to reply to the first speaker. 

“I know, I know. It's just, I don't think I'm worthy of her is all. After all she's a proper full blown witch with a legacy dating back hundreds of of centuries and I'm just,”

“Just the witch that saved the world and unlocked the grand Triskellion with her at your side. I think you're selling yourself a bit short here.”

Diana's eyes widened as she realized who the two voices belonged to. She hurried her steps, forging forward as fast as she could towards the sound of Akko's and Amanda's voices. 

The two of them were nowhere in sight but Diana could tell by dead reckoning alone that their voices had to be fairly close now. “Akko?! Amanda?!” She called out, as she willed her legs to move. Her voice sounded as distant as her movements felt. As if it wasn’t really her own.

Her friends seemed to ignore her, carrying on their conversation. “Why do I still not think it’s enough?” Akko sighed. “Amanda, I could save the world five times over and I’d still feel like I don’t deserve to be with her.”

“All right, would you stop with the self depreciation already? You and me both know that Diana’s standards can’t possibly be that high. Otherwise I don’t think she’d even give you the time of day much less tutor you in broom flying every evening.”

Diana’s legs were aching badly, but she forced them towards the sound of the voices nonetheless. Despite her best efforts, she didn’t appear to come any closer. In fact, it almost appeared as if her friends were moving further away from her as they spoke.

Akko’s voice was beginning to dull out in the distance again when she finally spoke up again. “Broom flying. That’s it! Amanda you’re a genius!”

After that, Diana couldn’t hear them anymore. It now became apparent to her how absolutely silent this place was. Even the ever present beeping of the ECG had disappeared, leaving her with only the sounds of her labored breathing, pounding heartbeat, and blood rushing through her ears. 

She stopped, unsure of what to do now. Had she gone in the wrong direction? Had it been right to start walking at random in the first place? Had she only imagined the disembodied voices of her friends? 

No, there they were again off in the distance! Though faint, Diana could hear Akko speaking. “I want you to do me a favor. Could you give this to her if I don't tell her tonight?”

As the sounds reached her, they seemed to recede back into the darkness, as if beckoning her to follow. Diana forced her legs to move, pushing aside the burning of her muscles.

A new voice joined the conversation. “Are you still sure you want to do this?” 

Chills ran down Diana's spine as she recognized herself talking. She remembered speaking those words to Akko, as the two of them were ascending the steps of the New Moon Tower. 

She could remember the way Akko had turned back with a barely concealed blush and spluttered “Uh-huh, absolutely, one hundred percent, no doubts about it for sure.” before quickly turning back.

As she replayed that memory in her head, something appeared slowly out of the blackness in front of her, as if a thick mist was lifting around it. It took her a second to realize that the monolithic stone structure for what it was.

“The New Moon Tower!” Diana gasped, nearly falling flat on her face as one of her legs momentarily lost its strength. She couldn’t believe her eyes at first but as she closed in, more and more details became apparent.

She stumbled towards the entrance, failing to notice that the surrounding environment was changing with every bit she got closer. Soft, green grass was now covering the ground around the base, gently flowing in a silent, unnoticeable breeze. The sky had turned from black into a deep blue, marred by the flitting specs of stars stretching from horizon to horizon.

With the last bit of her strength, she finally reached the entrance door to the tower. She grabbed hold of the massive cast iron door handle and pulled, with all the force she could muster. It didn’t budge.

She tried again, with the same result. The heavy wooden door didn’t even make a sound as it resisted her attempts at entry. Diana sagged down to her knees, having spent the last of her strength.

She didn’t even have the energy left to cry. It was all far too much for her. The unbearable silence of this place broken by mirages of memories that weren’t even her own, the deafening silence between them, the flurry of thoughts swirling through her head.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus. She tried to find the one thought, the one thing that was most prevalent in her mind in a last bid attempt to not break down completely. But no matter how many times she attempted to do just that, she was always left with one thing.

Atsuko Kagari.

She turned around and set on the ancient stone stairs leading towards the door and cupped her face in her hands. Akko. That's all she wanted. She wanted to see her friend whole again. She wanted to see her smile and laugh again. She wanted to tell her about how she really felt. 

Diana lifted her face out of her hands and let her eyes wander. She was just now noticing that the space around her had transformed into a perfect replica of the area around the New Moon Tower.

Somewhat surprised she tilted her head upwards and was greeted by a brilliant starry night. The full moon was out and illuminating the well-kept lawns around the base of the massive stone structure. 

“Full moon.” She mumbled to herself. The gears in her head began turning again. All these voices were talking about things that had happened before that fateful night. That surely had to mean something. 

Slowly realization was dawning on her. There had been a full moon three weeks ago! That realization had her catapulting to her feet, completely oblivious to the protests of her tired limbs. 

The movement felt natural again, that strange disconnect having vanished together with that cloudy feeling in her mind. She was just about to spin around to have a try at the door again, when that haunting scream that she had dreamed about so often in the last couple of weeks pierced her ears. 

Her head snapped upward to see a tiny figure plummeting towards her from way up high.

“AKKO!” Diana yelled out in shock. Her eyes were locked on the small dark speck, outlined about two hundred feet high in the air against the grey wall of the tower. As she watched though, she noticed something strange. 

Akko's fall seemed to slow down. What had been a plunge at the full force of the earth's acceleration just a moment ago, seemed to abate to an easy floating drift as if someone had attached a parachute to her. 

It was almost as if she was waiting for her. Hesitantly, Diana took a step toward the point where Akko would eventually land, scared that if she moved she might break the illusion and her friend would resume falling at terminal velocity. 

No such thing happened however. Reassured, Diana positioned herself directly underneath her friend, who had now drifted close enough that Diana could make her out in detail. 

She was holding the same pose she had been when she had tried to reach out to Diana. But Diana, or at least her mirror image in this illusion was nowhere to be seen. 

“That's all right.” Diana said, the pieces in her mind finally clicking together. “I don't need to be up there. I am right here. And I'm not gonna fail you this time.”

When Akko was only a couple of feet away, Diana stretched out her arms. Her heart was beating like an out-of-control jackhammer when the Japanese witch gently drifted down and began to rest on her arms. 

Her weight was transferring slowly into her embrace, as if she was being handed off very gently by some unseen benevolent force. When she finally came to rest in Diana's arms, Akko seemed to snap out of a trance, the expression of mortal fear on her face giving way first to confusion and then, when she saw Diana, to a smile that threatened to split her face in half. 

“Diana.” she sounded as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment. 

The blonde witch wanted to say something as well, but another bright green flash cut her off before she had the chance to do so. 

Diana's eyes snapped open again, as if she had just awoken from a terrible nightmare. 

'Beep Beep Beep' 

“Oh, no.” She muttered, frantically scanning the infirmary room. “Please don't tell me this was just a dream.”

But it appeared so. Nothing had changed. The books were still there on the table where she left them, Akko still lay there, her hand still entwined with Diana's and the ECG was-

'Beep BeepBeep' 

This sudden change in the rhythm that had been ever present for the last three weeks of her life startled her so much that she gasped. Could it be? 

'Beep BeepBeepBeep' 

No, she wasn't imagining it, Akko's heartbeat was getting faster!

“Akko?” she asked tentatively, her voice quivering as she watched her friend for any sign of change. “Akko, can you hear me?”

The ECG had now settled on a much faster rhythm. Slowly, so slowly that at first Diana wasn't sure that she wasn't imagining it, Akko's face twitched, as if she was waking from a very, very deep slumber. 

Diana wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat as a cocktail of various emotions overwhelmed her. Confusion, relief and joy came flooding over her as her friend's eyes slowly fluttered open. 

Diana let out a sound that was mostly a mix between a wordless cry of relief and a sob of someone who had reached their emotional breaking point. 

Still only half open, Akko's eyes scanned the room, until they came to rest on Diana. When she spotted the blonde, her lips curled up into a weak smile. “Diana, I knew you would be there. I knew you would catch me.” She sounded hoarse and weak, the words leaving her lips in a strained whisper. 

“What are you talking about?” Diana sobbed overcome by raw emotions. “I didn't catch you! That why you're-”

Akko interrupted her. “Shush, silly.” She tried to move but winced back in pain when she realized that her arm and leg were still broken. Instead, she pulled her good hand out of Diana's grasp and put it behind the blonde's neck to pull her closer. 

Diana flushed red, hovering only centimeters from Akko's face. “You know,” the brunette began fixing her with those deep, ruby-red eyes of hers, “when I hit the ground it was almost as if I just continued falling, as I fell right through the world. I couldn't move or scream or do anything. All around me was just black, in every direction. For a time I thought I had died.”

She paused, shuddering at the memory. “But after a while I began hearing voices. Someone talking to me, pleading with me. Crying over me.”

Diana's blush deepened even further and her eyes widened as her friend spoke. “You-”  
she spoke, completely incredulous, “you heard that?”

“Every word. I knew you were there and that you wouldn't leave my side. I knew that you were trying to make me better.”

“D-does that mean-?”

“Yes, I also heard 'that'.” She let out a mischievous giggle. “I hope you liked my little present by the way.”

“Akko I- you” Diana stammered before finally giving up with a resigned “ah, to hell with this” Failing to articulate her thoughts adequately, she chose to press her lips to Akko's. 

The brunette was surprised for only the briefest of moments before reciprocating the kiss with an equal amount of passion. 

After what felt like too short of a while to Diana, their lips parted again, the two witches panting heavily. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Akko grinned sheepishly.

This was it. This was what she had nearly broken herself over the last three weeks. It had come true. Akko was awake. Diana still couldn’t find the right words to express how she was feeling. 

So she resorted to the only thing that felt natural to her right now. She burst into tears and slumped onto Akko. 

“Ow, ow! Easy there!” she winced, feeling the sting as some of Diana’s weight transferred onto some of her broken ribs.

Diana shot back up to hover over Akko’s face again. “I was so scared.” she sobbed. “I was so scared you wouldn’t wake up. I was scared that I failed you Akko.”

Again, she was shushed as Akko gently guided her down to rest on her other shoulder. “It’s okay Diana. Let it all out.”

And she did. For about an hour the pair remained like this, Akko gently stroking Diana’s hair while the blonde sobbed into her lover’s shoulder. 

When the tears had dried up and her breathing normalised Diana rose from Akko’s embrace, a slight smile now drawn across her pale features. “So,” she began, a hint of red beginning to show on her face again. “you told me to come and see you once I got your letter. Here I am.”

“Oh,” suddenly that grin vanished from Akko’s face. “I uhm- Oh you already know what I wanted to tell you.”

“I want to hear you say it though.”

Akko hesitated for a split second before taking a deep breath and answering. “Diana, I am sorry I caused you so much grief over the last few weeks. I just wanted this to be as special as I could make it. Well, I’m guessing this here is as special as it’s gonna get. Diana I-”

She swallowed, her face now having taken on the same color as her eyes. “I love you. With all of my heart.”

Diana couldn’t suppress the big goofy grin spreading across her face even if she wanted to. “I love you too Akko. Sorry it took me so long to realize it.”

This time it was Akko who pulled her into a kiss. With each second that their lips touched, Diana seemed to calm more and more, slowly shedding the emotional weight of the last few weeks. If it had been up to her, she could have stayed like this for hours, but her body soon protested from lack of oxygen.

With obvious reluctance from both parties, their lips parted. Still panting, Diana was the first to speak up again. “I think I should get the others to break the good news.”

Akko averted her eyes, looking slightly resigned. “Uhm, actually” she began fidgeting with a strand of Diana’s hair, “could you just stay here with me a little longer? I don’t want you to leave just yet.”

“Of course.” Diana replied warmly, gently laying her head on Akko’s chest. “I’ll stay here for as long as you want.”

_________________________________________________________________________

The gentle breeze on top of the New Moon Tower had Diana’s hair billowing slightly, as she sat on the edge of the platform, gazing absentmindedly at the brilliant, starry sky around her. 

“It’s almost exactly like that night, huh?”

A voice from behind her tore her out of her ruminations. She turned around with a warm smile. “Yes, it is. I didn’t really notice back then how pretty the sky looked.”

“Not as pretty as you~” Akko cooed, sitting down next to her girlfriend on the edge of the platform. “Man, I can’t believe how busy the last couple of weeks have been. I think I’m beginning to suffer from acute Diana-Deficit Syndrome.” As she spoke she gently leaned on Diana’s shoulder, who in turn wrapped an arm around her. 

“Well, at least the finals are over and done with now. Things should quieten down soon enough I think.” Diana said, affectionately running her hand through Akko’s hair.

“True that.” the brunette said, springing up to her feet and brandishing her broom. ”We’ve got the evening entirely to ourselves and tomorrow off! Let’s have ourselves some quality time together!” Even while she was still talking, she was already mounting her broom.

Diana let out a slight giggle before straddling Akko’s broom to sit behind her girlfriend. She wrapped her arms around Akko’s waist and spoke “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh, you’ll see.” Whatever it was, the sly smile adorning Akko’s face intrigued Diana.

The brunette pulled the broom aloft with almost no effort at all. She was taking a scenic route towards the dormitories. As far as Diana was concerned she could have given her a scenic tour of the nearest waste disposal site and she’d still have been happy as long as it was with Akko.

She nuzzled her face into the nape of Akko’s neck. She could not recall a happier time in her life. Then again, every moment she spent with Akko was like this. She almost couldn’t believe that their anniversary was already coming up.

“I’ll never let you go.” she whispered quietly. “I’ll always be right here for you. I’ll always be ready to catch you when you fall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done folks! Man I must have gone through at least half a pack of Lucky Strikes in order to finish this today  
> It really has been a blast writing this story and I couldn't be more happy about the support all of you have shown me so far. 
> 
> Fun fact, despite the fact that I have been writing fanfiction for years now, this is the first one I actually ever finished! (excluding one shots)
> 
> At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to our little comatose adventure! Up until a couple days ago I actually wasn't 100% sure that I would even give this story a happy ending :P But then again, I'm not THAT evil. I promised you people fluff and I hope I delivered.
> 
> I've got the next couple of projects (aside from my long term project- Ice Hawks), lined up and ready to be put to paper. The next one is probably going to be an LWA Fic centered around two of my OCs (with a Diakko sideplot, because of course). So if you're interested in that sort of thing I recommend sticking around.
> 
> Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> Thank you again for reading
> 
> -Jordan


End file.
